Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-29

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

A magazine wants to include contributions from its readers for an article called 'The book that influenced me most'.

Write a letter to the editor of the magazine about the book that influenced you most. In your letter

- describe what this book was about
- explain how this book influenced you
- say whether this book would be likely to influence other people

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Student answer (Band 6.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing in response to your request for readers contributions to the article entitled. The book which influenced me the most. I would like to recommend "Agni path" written by A.P.J Abdul kalam, it is his own biography that inspired me in my life.

The book tells about the life of former president of India A.P.J addul kalam, that how he was born in a poor family but with his dedication about this work he become the president of India. This book is all about the challenges he faced during his life journey.

This book influenced my by encouraging me to take risks and pursue my goals instead of allowing fear of failure to hold me back. In particular, it allows me to fight for my goals and sharpen my mind to take meaningful decisions towards my dreams.

I believe that this book also influence many other people, especially those who are uncertain about their future. Its inspiring message is universal and can encourage readers to believe in themselves and work towards their dreams

Your faithfully,

Sparsh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly describe the book, explain its personal influence, and provide a logical argument for why it would influence others. The tone is appropriate for a letter to an editor. To reach a higher band, ensure that your ideas are developed with more depth; for example, instead of just stating that the book helped you 'take risks', you could briefly describe a specific situation where you applied this lesson. Overall, the response is relevant and fulfills the requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with clear paragraphing that separates the introduction, the description of the book, the personal impact, and the conclusion. Each paragraph has a clear central topic. You use some cohesive devices like 'In particular' and 'I believe that', which help the flow of ideas. However, the transition between sentences could be smoother in some places. To improve, try using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that referencing (e.g., 'this book') is always clear to avoid any mechanical feel in the progression of your ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'biography', 'dedication', and 'universal'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'readers contributions' (should be 'readers' contributions') and 'take meaningful decisions' (usually 'make decisions'). While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the response from reaching a higher band. To improve, focus on learning common collocations and ensure you are using the correct form of words in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'that how he was born' (should be 'how he was born'), 'influenced my by' (should be 'influenced me by'), and 'he become' (should be 'he became'). Additionally, there are punctuation issues, such as the sentence fragment 'The book which influenced me the most.' and the incorrect closing 'Your faithfully' (should be 'Yours faithfully'). While these errors are noticeable, they do not prevent the reader from understanding your message. Increasing your control over basic verb tenses and subject-verb agreement will help improve your score.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.